Letter to the editor: When will Waitrose put their own house and garden in order in Horsham?

In this week's West Sussex County Times, we learned that the town centre is set to undergo a £3.2 million transformation. In the article, Roger Noel stated that he believes the project "is going to be a real improvement for Horsham town centre", while Liberal Democrat cabinet member for planning and infrastructure, Ruth Fletcher, welcomed the improvements, noting among other benefits that they will "improve connections between the John Lewis and Waitrose area and the town centre".

This latter point particularly caught my attention as, for more than two years, I have been raising concerns about the ever-worsening state of the store's car park landscaping and boundary planting.

In response to my most recent complaint about the weed-filled flower beds and dead and dying plants that surround the John Lewis site, I was told that there was very little the local store could do, even if it wished to, because the maintenance budget for landscaping is controlled centrally. I was advised to contact Waitrose’s head office directly with my complaint, which I duly did. This week, I followed up my original email with a series of photographs showing the badly neglected and deteriorating landscape.

I raise these concerns because I believe Waitrose has a responsibility to maintain and enhance those areas of our town centre which are under their control. If the planting installed when the store opened, and maintained during its early years of trading, was considered appropriate then, it should surely be maintained to a reasonable standard today.

Horsham rightly takes great pride in its open spaces. Our award-winning park is just one example. I believe that a retailer as prestigious as the John Lewis Partnership should contribute positively to that sense of civic pride. Maintaining, and where necessary improving, its flower beds and roadside borders would not only enhance the appearance of the site, improve the biodiversity of this urban space, but also improve the overall shopping experience in Horsham Town centre for residents and visitors alike.  A greater attention to improving the landscaping would surely also fit in with John Lewis stated aim, as published in their Ethics and sustainability report 2024/2025,  of ‘protecting  and enhancing nature and biodiversity and reversing the negative effects of our business on natural resources and ecosystems’

The council is preparing to spend a considerable sum of public money on improving connections between John Lewis, Waitrose and the town centre. The least we can expect in return is for the John Lewis Partnership to put its own house, and garden, in order.

David Hide

Clarence Road Horsham